With multiple shows running at once, their schedules are sometimes tight and complicated.īut none of them utter a word of complaint.
23).ĭays can get long for Lydia, Adrienne and Jordan - and their nights even longer. His little brother, 8-year-old Hudson Sullivan, is the understudy for Chip in Tuacahn’s “Beauty and the Beast” (running through Oct. Jordan has been performing at Tuacahn since age 4 and has now been in six shows. Shari, a former Radio City Rockette, started as an actor before taking an assistant producer role, while A.J. Sullivan, pursued theater careers in New York City and Los Angeles before settling in southern Utah to work with Tuacahn. She’ll attend school online while the show runs into October.įor cast members like Jordan, musical theater is the family business. Her father flies in every few weeks to see her perform. Adrienne came to southern Utah from her home in California at the end of May and currently lives in Tuacahn-provided housing with her mother. Lydia first got involved with Tuacahn in 2018, when she was cast as the titular character in “Matilda.” This summer, she had the starring role in “Annie.” She’s not the only talented kid in her family, either - her little sister, 11-year-old Penny Ricks, is playing student and roadie Sophie in “School of Rock” right now, her first Tuacahn play.įor others, like Adrienne, being at Tuacahn means leaving home for months at a time. (Tuacahn) Lydia Ricks, 14, performs as the titular character in Tuacahn's 2021 production of "Annie."įor some, like Lydia, that means being the face of multiple musicals. “Everyone there, if you’re ever stuck or you need help, they’re always there to catch you or to support you,” she said. She said Wagner’s tradition helps her calm any nerves she might be feeling before going on stage. “It’s important to connect before the show so that we know everyone has each other’s backs on stage,” said Lydia Ricks, 14, who plays backup singer Marcy and understudies as both bassist Katie Travis and class know-it-all Summer Hathaway.Īdrienne Amanda Morrow, 14, plays drummer Freddy Hamilton and also understudies as Katie Travis. The pre-show ritual he leads before each “School of Rock” performance at Tuacahn has become so cherished by the production’s child actors that three of them - in separate interviews - talked about it unprompted.
Wagner (who is not a child) made his Broadway debut as the understudy for the role he now plays in “School of Rock.” As with many of the adult actors who perform at Tuacahn each year, he is a member of the Actor’s Equity Association and (setting aside COVID-19′s devastating effect on the performing arts industry) regularly performs at professional theaters across the country.